In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time
Indian, Arnold is influenced by others around him and they all contribute in
some way to his maturation. First, Arnold's grandmother is the most forgiving and
understanding person whom Arnold knows and she encourages her grandson to always look
for the good in things. Arnold's grandmother, however, is not naive and she understands
the significant problems that exist on the reservation, but she recognizes the ills of
the reservation as consequences of greater problems and tells Arnold that he must live a
just life.
When Arnold goes to Reardon, he meets friends
there who help him mature. Gordy is a bit of an outcast just like Arnold, so the
friendship between the two comes easily. Through Gordy, Arnold begins to learn that it
is fine to just be himself. And once Arnold makes friends with the more popular crowd
like Roger and Penelope, he realizes that behind the mask, popular people have problems
too. Thus Arnold matures as he learns the truths of the world.
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